Urban Landscapes Merge with Intricately Rendered Figures in Ed Fairburn’s Portraits on Vintage Maps

“Plymouth.” All images © Ed Fairburn, shared with permission

Along the contours of roads, property boundaries, and shorelines, English artist Ed Fairburn draws inspiration for his detailed cross-hatched portraits. As an avid map collector, he is fascinated by the urban landscape and cartographic design. “The more maps I collect, the more I want to create,” he tells Colossal, sharing that transportation routes like roads and bridges can be likened to the veins or arteries of the body.

Fairburn’s intricate drawings directly respond to the layout of the original map. “I allow the composition of each map to inform the composition of each portrait,” he explains. An interest in the body as metaphorical landscape and vice versa also informs how he approaches each piece. “In a wider sense, I hope that my work pushes viewers to think about those similarities, and perhaps offers a reminder that we’re shaped by the landscape around us, which we in turn are also shaping.”

You can find more of Fairburn’s work on his website, and follow updates on Instagram, where he often shares videos of his process.

 

“River Thames; Staines to Richmond”

“Singapore”

“Aberdeen Harbour”

“Paris II”

“Paris”

Detail of “Plymouth”

Detail of “River Thames; Staines to Richmond” 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Urban Landscapes Merge with Intricately Rendered Figures in Ed Fairburn’s Portraits on Vintage Maps appeared first on Colossal.

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The Design Stories Colossal Readers Loved Most in 2022

This year on Colossal, we published hundreds of articles across disciplines, and as we look back at those in the design world, we’re finding that readers gravitated toward stories about the world’s largest sheet of chainmail, geometric pastries, and tiny homes for bees. Be sure to take a look at 2022’s top articles across art and craft, and check out our favorite books of the year. You can always take a trip back in time by diving into the Colossal archive.

 

A Massive Chainmail Shelter Prevents a Renowned Scottish Mansion from Dissolving in the Rain

English YouTuber and educator Tom Scott visits the largest sheet of chainmail in the world in a short documentary that reveals how the uniquely designed mesh structure has become a landmark of sustainability.

 

Image © Dinara Kasko

Impeccably Precise Geometries Are Baked into Dinara Kasko’s Bold Cakes and Tarts

Ukrainian pastry chef Dinara Kasko brings a healthy dose of geometry to her meticulously designed cakes.

 

Image © Catie Newell

Reimagining an Iconic Midwestern Structure, Catie Newell Cuts a Slice of Sky Out of a Michigan Barn

Conceived by Detroit-based architect and educator Catie Newell, this project reworks the iconic framework of an aging farm building to allow light through an unexpected aperture.

 

Image courtesy of A24

Production Designer Liz Toonkel Describes Creating the Adorable Universe Behind the New ‘Marcel the Shell with Shoes On’

A tiny mollusk with a big personality, Marcel the Shell with Shoes On captivated audiences more than a decade ago with his quirky antics and endlessly entertaining use of human-sized objects. The adorable character returned this summer for a feature-length mockumentary with brilliant world-building by Liz Toonkel.

 

Image © Vertical Panorama Pavilion at the Donum Estate (2022), Studio Other Spaces, Olafur Eliasson and Sebastian Behmann, by Adam Potts

Olafur Eliasson Designs a Conical Structure with 832 Vibrant Glass Panels That Reflect Sonoma’s Weather

A bold, conical structure by artist Olafur Eliasson and architect Sebastian Behmann casts a vibrant kaleidoscope of 24 colors underneath its canopy.

 

Image © Ulf Mejergren and Antti Laitinen

In a Remote Swedish Forest, A Nest of Branches and Hay Encircles a Tree with a Cozy Hideout

In April of this year, Swedish architect and artist Ulf Mejergren and Finnish artist Antti Laitinen gathered fallen branches from a forested area outside of Nykvarn and wove a structure around a tree, building a cozy refuge among the thawing spring landscape.

 

Image by Hiroyuki Oki, courtesy of Vo Trong Nghia Architects

42,000 Bamboo Shoots Construct an Illuminated, Latticed Welcome Center in Vietnam

The project of Vo Trong Nghia Architects, a glowing welcome center of interlaced bamboo stands at the entrance of the resort Grand World Phu Quoc in Vietnam.

 

Image © Green&Blue

Tiny Holes Drilled into Bricks Provide Miniature Homes for Solitary Bees

An innovative creation of Cornwall-based Green&Blue, Bee Bricks are designed to establish homes for fuzzy, winged insects.

 

Image © World of WearableArt

In the World of WearableArt, 88 Dramatic Garments Grace the Stage in a Spectacular Performance

Every year in Wellington, dozens of extravagant garments explode onto the stage for three weeks as part of the World of WearableArt competition.

 

All images © Noritaka Minami

Photos by Noritaka Minami Document the Famed Nakagin Capsule Tower Prior to Demolition

Artist Noritaka Minami documented the icon of Japanese Metabolism, the Nakagin Capsule Tower, that stood in the Ginza neighborhood of Tokyo from 1972 until it was demolished earlier this year.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Design Stories Colossal Readers Loved Most in 2022 appeared first on Colossal.

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Georgian Culture and Ukrainian Pride Highlight the 2022 Tbilisi Mural Fest

By Sasha Korban. All images courtesy of Tbilisi Mural Fest, shared with permission

For the last four years, Tbilisi Mural Fest has facilitated more than 40 public artworks around the Georgian capital, and the 2022 event brought a spate of new projects to the city. Given the nation’s proximity to Russia and that country’s groundless war against Ukraine, festival organizers highlighted renowned Ukrainian muralist Sasha Korban who painted a large-scale portrait of a woman in customary clothing facing the Russian embassy. Other works include celebrations of Georgian culture and history, like a large-scale tablecloth with traditional motifs by Chertova Tina and Mohamed l’Ghacham’s dreamlike rendering of the living room of Georgian thinker and author Ilia Chavchavadze.

See some of the 2022 additions below and those from previous years on Instagram.

 

By Chertova Tina

By Fintan Magee

“Circus” by Luis Gomez de Teran

“Illia’s Room” by Mohamed l’Ghacham

“Growth” by Artez

“Luis Gomez de Teran” by Kera

“M3D3A” by Vesod

By Dato Machavariani and Irakli Qadeishvili

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Georgian Culture and Ukrainian Pride Highlight the 2022 Tbilisi Mural Fest appeared first on Colossal.

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The Craft Stories Colossal Readers Loved Most in 2022

We’re wrapping up 2022 and revisiting some of the craft projects we wrote about this year. From a 2,000-year-old Roman glass bowl to a menagerie of paper bats, the stories Colossal readers loved most are diverse in medium and subject matter and show a vast array of creativity around the globe.

If you want even more of 2022’s highlights, check out the top art stories and our favorite books of the year. You can also dive into the Colossal archive.

 

Image courtesy of Marieke Mom

Archeologists Unearth a Roman Glass Bowl Dating Back 2,000 Years in Pristine Condition

A January archaeological dig in the city of Nijmegen, The Netherlands, unearthed a stunningly preserved bowl made of blue glass that’s estimated to be about 2,000 years old.

 

Image © Larysa Bernhardt

Vintage Tapestries Cloak the Wings of Larysa Bernhardt’s Plush Moths

Artist Larysa Bernhardt creates colorful moth sculptures embroidered with vintage tapestries, often portraying historical people, animals, and delicate botanical forms on their wings.

 

Image © Guardabosques

A Collection of Paper Sculptures Studies the Wild Diversity of 88 Different Bat Species

A project by Juan Nicolás Elizalde, who is half of the creative team behind the Buenos Aires-based studio Guardabosques, explores the incredible diversity of bats through geometric paper sculptures.

 

Image courtesy of SJSA

A Conversation with Social Justice Sewing Academy Explores Community Activism and the Power of Remembering Through Quilts

In a time when witnessing inequity is like digging into an already numb wound, the Social Justice Sewing Academy offers the power of touch. Program director Stephanie Valencia speaks about the work of honoring the victims of violence and their families through community art, supporting young entrepreneurs with creative or social justice-oriented businesses, and most importantly, giving people something to hold on to.

 

Image © Ryan Eicher

Kaleidoscopic Patterns Coil Around Miniature Snakes Exquisitely Cast in Glass

Intricate linework and trippy, geometric motifs flow through the minuscule glass-blown serpents by Ryan Eicher.

 

Image © Sew Beautiful

Skies Peek Through Foliage in French Knots in Embroideries that Peer Up From the Forest Floor

The vibrant embroideries of Sew Beautiful capture the awe-inspiring breadth of the outdoors within a tiny wooden hoop.

 

Image © Raya Sader Bujana

Impossibly Small Houseplants and Basketry Crafted from Paper by Raya Sader Bujana

Barcelona-based artist Raya Sader Bujana defines her work as something between sculpture and illustration, creating impossibly tiny replicas of houseplants that rest atop a finger.

 

Image © Diane Yevtukh

Vivid Compositions in Thread Enliven Hollow Spaces in Diana Yevtukh’s Striking Embroideries

Ukrainian artist Diana Yevtukh draws inspiration from her surroundings by carefully situating cornucopian floral arrangements made of thread in the hollows of trees.

 

Image © Brian Giniewski

Mottled, Marbled, and Speckled Glazes Ooze Over Ceramic Vessels in Thick Pastel Drips

Referencing a melty summertime ice cream cone or icing on a cake, Brian Giniewski’s Drippy Pots are covered in mottled pastels, speckles, or single colors that trickle down the exterior of mugs and cups.

 

Image © Cai Wei Qun

An Elaborately Designed Book on Weaving Opens to Reveal a Fully Functional Loom

Cai Wei Qun constructed an impressively immersive book on weaving, which opens to reveal a trove of history, techniques and tricks, and an entire loom tucked between its covers.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Craft Stories Colossal Readers Loved Most in 2022 appeared first on Colossal.

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Aerial Photos Showcase the Annual Flamingo Migration that Transforms India’s Publicat Lake into a Vibrant Spectacle

All images © Raj Mohan, shared with permission

Each January, Publicat Lake in Tamil Nadu, India, harbors tens of thousands of lanky, pink-feathered birds that gather in the warm waters during their annual migration. Approximately 20 flocks of flamingos land in the region in early November and stay until May, transforming the 750-square kilometers of brackish lagoons into breeding grounds for the long-legged creatures.

Photographer Raj Mohan documented these temporary settlements in a series of aerial images that capture the birds’ sprawling, even bizarre formations. The avians dot the landscape, congregate in heart-shaped groups, and align in long, perfect diagonals, seemingly choreographed arrangements visible only from above.

Mohan’s images were taken during what’s known as the annual flamingo festival, which “promote(s) tourism at Pulicat. Several bird photography contests, environment education sensitization programs, school excursions, etc., are organized to increase awareness,” he shares on Peta Pixel. “This attracts a large number of bird watchers and photographers from different places.” In addition to the spectacle they create, the flamingos also help to control the otherwise rampant algae growth in the lake and prevent the need for human intervention.

A corporate photographer by day, Mohan is based in Chennai but currently spending his time in Bangalore. Travel has always been his preferred way of exploring India’s natural diversity, and you can find more of his work on Instagram. For another glimpse of flamingo migration, head to Mexico’s Yucatán Peninsula with Claudio Contreras Koob.

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Aerial Photos Showcase the Annual Flamingo Migration that Transforms India’s Publicat Lake into a Vibrant Spectacle appeared first on Colossal.

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The Art Stories Colossal Readers Loved Most in 2022

As we edge closer to the end of 2022, we’re taking a look back at some of the biggest hits on Colossal throughout the year. We’ve published hundreds of articles spotlighting extraordinary work by artists around the globe who test boundaries, activate discussion, and inspire innovation.

We collected 10 of the most-read articles on the site this year, ranging from street art and embroidery to soldered teacups and mirrors with hidden images. And if you want even more of 2022’s art highlights, dive into the Colossal archive.

 

Image © Banksy

New Banksy Works Emerge Among the Destruction in Ukraine

Banksy‘s signature stencils have been spotted among the rubble of bombed buildings and barricades in Borodyanka and Gorenka, both in the Bucha Region, while others are just outside the capital city of Kyiv.

 

Image © Ruth Miller

Tender Embroidered Portraits by Ruth Miller Are Tinged with Expressive Colors

Beginning with a line drawing in pencil, U.S.-based artist Ruth Miller renders hand-embroidered portraits based on photos into wool tapestries and thread drawings.

 

Image © Ememem

Vibrant Tiled Mosaics by Ememem Repair Gouged Pavement and Fractured Sidewalks

Lyon native Ememem, aka “the pavement surgeon,” examines the streets of European cities and checks for splintered pavement and sidewalks fractured in pieces.

 

Image © Nick Cave

A Colossal Interview: Artist Nick Cave Unpacks Silence and Compassion Ahead of His First Retrospective at the Museum of Contemporary Art in Chicago

A portmanteau of forevermore and for others, Forothermore is a prescient title for the first retrospective of artist Nick Cave, whose practice spanning sculpture, installation, performance, and various mediums consistently confronts racism, homophobia, and other bigotries through the alluring, affecting power of art.

 

Image © Glen Taylor

Spikes, Rusted Wire, and Scissors Bind Shattered Porcelain in Sculptures by Glen Taylor

A visual metaphor for imperfection and the possibilities of repair, the porcelain sculptures created by Ohio-based artist Glen Taylor are steeped in contrast.

 

Image © Mariki Kusumoto

Clusters of Diaphanous Textile Sculptures by Mariko Kusumoto Evoke the Ocean Floor

Japanese artist and designer Mariko Kusumoto shapes gossamer coral and sea creatures from soft fibers like polyester, nylon, and cotton.

 

Image © Estelle Chrétien

Anthropomorphic Interventions in the Landscape by Estelle Chrétien Playfully Examine Rural Life

For artist Estelle Chrétien, the expansive lawns, fields, and wooded ravines around her home in Nancy, France, and other parts of Europe become sites of mischievous mixed-media interventions.

 

Image courtesy of Cincinnati Art Museum

Cincinnati Art Museum Discovers That a Rare 16th Century Mirror Reveals a Hidden Image When Illuminated

While plumbing the archives at the Cincinnati Art Museum, curator Hou-mei Sung uncovered what appeared to be an ordinary patinaed mirror printed with the name of Amitābha Buddha. After closer inspection, though, the object revealed a surprise.

 

Image © Lyske Gais and Lia Duinker

1,400 Pages of Rembrandt’s Hand Drawings Fill a Wearable Book Bracelet

Lined with gilt edges and secured with a gold clasp, a bracelet by the Amsterdam-based duo of Lyske Gais and Lia Duinker packs a vast art historical collection within the span of a wrist.

 

Image © Kang Dong Hyun

Complex Networks of Metallic Branches Shape Animal Sculptures by Kang Dong Hyun

What eventually becomes a stately stag or majestically posed lion in Kang Dong Hyun’s Forest of Coexistence starts with countless metallic branches that splay in every direction.

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article The Art Stories Colossal Readers Loved Most in 2022 appeared first on Colossal.

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Precise Aerial Photos by Mitch Rouse Document the Immaculate Patterns of California Farmland

All images © Mitch Rouse, shared with permission

Captured above Kern County, California, a collection of aerial photos by Mitch Rouse (previously) highlight the vibrant precision of American farmland. The striking images frame segments of fields and groves that juxtapose the exactitude of large-scale production with organic growth. Long, rainbow-like rows of botanics, a single pink tree among an orchard of yellow, and repeating squares of dried vegetation transform the agricultural topographies into textured tapestries bursting with color.

Explore the full Farmland series and shop prints on Rouse’s site. You can follow his latest projects on Behance and Instagram.

 

Do stories and artists like this matter to you? Become a Colossal Member today and support independent arts publishing for as little as $5 per month. The article Precise Aerial Photos by Mitch Rouse Document the Immaculate Patterns of California Farmland appeared first on Colossal.

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